Shanahan made the ruling after an in-person hearing with McLeod, who was suspended for the first time in his career. He'll forfeit $29,487.20 in pay.

"With the speed of today's game, there often are occasions where a player changing direction or turning his back just prior to or simultaneous with an oncoming check may absolve a checker from responsibility," Shanahan said.

He said that the Department of Player Safety considered that, but "we're convinced McLeod had time to avoid or minimize checking Kronwall from behind."

He cited the fact that McLeod changed his direction as Kronwall did. He added that though McLeod was gliding in, he did so at high speed and didn't position his skates to stop or slow down.

Kronwall was taken off the ice on a stretcher on Thursday in Denver and suffered a concussion. He was able to skate with teammates on Monday and is eyeing a potential return on Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.

The in-person hearing meant that the suspension had the potential to be six or more games, but as with the case of the St. Louis Blues' Maxim Lapierre, Shanahan chose a five-game penalty. That case also was complicated because San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle was in the process of losing his balance before the hit.

Shanahan also held a phone hearing on Monday with Michael Grabner and suspended the New York Islanders forward for two games, at a cost of $30,769.24, for a head hit on the Carolina Hurricanes' Nathan Gerbe.

Gerbe remained in the game after Grabner's shoulder caught him in the head on Saturday. Grabner was a first-time offender.

"This is not a full-body check," Shanahan said. "The head is the main point of contact, and such contact is avoidable."